33 Romantic Date Ideas in Pittsburgh This Season

Summer is in the air in Pittsburgh, which means Yinzers are coming out of hibernation and enjoying outdoor patio dining, Pirates baseball, and basking in the glory of the Point Park Fountain (it’s back on!). Where summer goes, romance follows, and the Steel City has plenty of opportunities for fun, memorable dates this season, whether you’re enjoying an evening in Kennywood, floating in a tiki bar on the river, or dining in a treehouse like a couple of highly sophisticated Tarzans. Add these date ideas to your summer bucket list.

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South Side When the sun’s out and spring arrives, you better believe there’ll be a line at this ice cream staple on East Carson Street. Waiting in line is unavoidable, but totally worth it for a taste of delicious treats like the cinnamon bun sundae, an Oreo arctic swirl, or a chocolate chip ice cream sandwich. The line gives you plenty of time to decide what you’re going to get, and/or get to know each other (if it’s a first date).

Various locations Pittsburghers don’t like to spend a lot of time indoors when the weather gets nice (mostly because non-rainy/snowy weather is such a rarity to experience). Instead of staying indoors and bowling, get outside with some bocce. To get a grasp of the game, there are bocce games going on all season long, perfect for observing or participating (you’ve got to register!), and you could even start your own one-on-one game at a local park.

Various locations In the film Speed, Sandra Bullock’s character said: “Relationships that start under intense circumstances, they never last.” While that statement is debatable, you and your date can play out your own Speed scenario by being locked together in a room for an hour and having to problem-solve your way out of it.

Various locations Bring your own blanket and prepare to cozy up; this year, free movies offered throughout the city include Peter Rabbit, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Coco, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Paddington 2, and A Wrinkle in Time. Sure, they’re mostly kids movies, but isn’t the movie just an excuse to get close to one another anyway?

Various locations Art is everywhere in Pittsburgh, from murals in Garfield to installations in Market Square; explore all of it with self-guided tours you and your date can take together, or with more structured tours that feature a knowledgeable guide, like taking it to the river with the North Shore Public Art Kayak tour.

Three Rivers Grab your date and up to four friends (triple-date?!) and relax on a two-hour sightseeing Tiki Cruise on the Three Rivers, being offered for the first time during the summer of 2018. The cruise provides a cooler and bottles of water, and you provide your favorite snacks and beverages.

Downtown During the summer months, you can catch a free movie, live music, delicious food and drink vendors, and more -- all on the roof of a parking garage overlooking beautiful downtown Pittsburgh. Details for the 2018 season haven’t been released yet, but based on past performance, it’s guaranteed to be date-worthy.

South Side Back in the 1950s, couples would share milkshakes at the local diner. The Milk Shake Factory, located on East Carson Street, allows you to experience that schmaltzy gesture for yourself, complete with classic diner decor and handspun milkshakes in delectable flavors like brownie fudge, chocolate raspberry truffle, and peanut butter pretzel.

Bridgeville Get away from city life for a bit with a horseback ride under the stars; after you complete the hour-and-a-half journey, you’ll enjoy a hayride to your dinner (which includes BBQ ribs), followed by a romantic campfire.

Acme When you’re a kid, the ideal hangout is an awesome treehouse -- this doesn’t really change when you’re an adult, except that you can now enjoy alcoholic beverages in one. At Treetops Restaurant, located the Laurel Highlands, you’ll get to enjoy gourmet New American cuisine and an excellent wine selection up among the leaves. Where else can you get ambiance like this?

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North Side Birds of a feather stick together, and couples that go to the Aviary do, too -- and while there are no statistics to back that last fact up, the National Aviary still is a great place for a date. Come for the ‘Burgh’s second most famous penguin named Sidney, and stay for the beyond adorable sloths.

Bellevue This free museum is packed to the gills with bikes of all shapes and sizes -- it even includes the Pee-wee’s Big Adventure bike, prompting immediate humming of “Tequila.” If there is a more impressive collection of bicycles anywhere in the world, we’d like to see it.

North Side Banjo Night in Pittsburgh is an institution, and something every Pittsburgher should experience once. Every Wednesday (from 8pm-11pm), the Pittsburgh Banjo Club performs at the Elk Lodge in the North Side. Doesn’t sound exciting to you? This short documentary from local videographer Willy James will show you what it’s all about and why it’s not just a fun, free experience for you and your date, but one full of history and culture.

Various locations As you might guess from the name, Pop Craft is a pop-up crafting workshop that takes place at local bars. The projects can involve anything from reclaimed wood trees for the holiday season to bottle opener crafts (the perfect design to create at a bar). Instead of store-bought presents for each other, you can make each other gifts from the heart (and well, liver, depending on what drink inspires your craftsmanship).

Taking an Incline ride is an out-of-towner’s delight, but it can be a total blast to play tourist in your own city. The views are top-notch from the funicular and from the platforms on Mount Washington.

Rankin Kennywood is always a magical place, but after 5pm the amusement park becomes especially enchanting, as dusk starts to set in and the park gets a little less crowded. It’s the perfect setting for some romantic alone time, whether you’re riding The Volcano or taking a few spins on the merry-go-round.

Downtown This park where the three rivers meet is perfect for a romantic day outdoors. Pack a picnic and admire the fountain (which is turned on from April through October), or go for a hike along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. The Fort Pitt Museum offers a glimpse into Western Pennsylvania’s history, including the birth of Pittsburgh.

LawrencevilleSpirit gets a little funkier on the first Saturday of each month, thanks to Title Town: a duo of DJs with an enormous vinyl collection. Expect deep cuts from genres like disco, '70s funk, and vintage R&B, all of which should be enough to bring you and your date a bit closer on the dance floor.

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Strip District For animal lovers who aspire to be person-lovers as well, this is about as perfect as it gets. Book a visit to the Cat Loft before heading to the coffee and wine bar area for espresso, wine, cheese, and an assortment of other noshing options.

Oakland Any season’s the right season to go on a date at Phipps in Oakland. Whether it’s spring flowers or winter lights, strolling through the beautiful greenery here is great for sparking conversation and romance.

Lawrenceville Every Tuesday, chow down on gourmet hot dogs and poutine while testing your knowledge of pop culture, science, and plenty of other topics. Bonus: Without the use of your phone, you’ll have to focus on each other (and, of course, the trivia).

Lawrenceville It might seem cliche, but it's true: this ain’t your childhood roller skating party. The last Saturday of every month, this dive bar in Lawrenceville rents out roller skates to patrons, turning the whole place into a full-on roller disco.

Lawrenceville Practice being Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze in Ghost and spend some time at Kiln-N-Time, an upscale paint-your-own-pottery studio, which also includes canvas painting, wine glass painting, and more. Date nights are Tuesdays through Saturdays, 6pm-9pm, and it’s BYOB. Drink some merlot while you pretend to be Monet.

Get closer to each other with some salsa dancing

Various locations Even if you don’t know how to salsa dance, there are plenty of weekly events around the city that include a lesson. Thursdays at Perle in Market Square include free bachata lessons from 9pm-9:30pm and music usually goes until 2am. Los Sabrosos Dance Studio in Garfield offers a mini-lesson from 9:30pm-10pm on Saturday nights, followed by dancing from 10pm-2am ($7 cover and BYOB). On Sunday nights, Absolute Ballroom Dance Center in East Liberty hosts beginner/immediate lessons at 7pm, followed by a salsa party at 8pm. Visit Salsa Pittsburgh to find a salsa event near you.

Jump around at a trampoline park

Various locations Trampolining isn’t just for kids; in fact, the activity actually burns 1,000 calories in an hour, which is helpful for overcoming that dreaded winter weight gain. Some trampoline parks, like the new Sky Zone in Canonsburg, are actually tailored for older kids or adults, with Friday Glow! Nights from 9pm-11pm, including a live DJ taking requests.

Play Games at Games N’ At

South Side Duckpin bowling, old-school video games, pinball, air hockey, and pool are just a few of the many games you can challenge each other to at this South Side gem. Think of it as like Chuck E. Cheese for adults: it’s BYOB, and skill games require tokens where you can win prizes at the end.

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Go to the most literary new restaurant

Downtown Book lovers will adore or, The Whale restaurant just for the Moby Dick reference and shipwrecked decor, but in addition to first-rate seafood, it also offers a world-class wine program with a sommelier on staff for enhanced pairing experiences. Match literary witticisms over whites, reds, and more.

Take a cooking class together

South Side More of a hands-on couple when it comes to food? Gaynor’s School of Cooking offers Couples’ Night classes with a different menu every month. Learn to prepare a delicious meal together under the guidance of a professional chef and turn one meal into multiples (after all, you can take home the skills you learn!).

Homestead Humor is sexy, and even if you're not the funniest in your circle of friends, you can still get your partner to laugh with a trip to The Improv at The Waterfront in Homestead. National acts roll in all the time, including Joel McHale, Cristela Alonzo, Godfrey, and more.

Irwin For stressed-out couples, the Break Room in Irwin provides “therapeutic demolition.” That’s right: You literally get to go into a room and smash things, so if you need to work out some issues, this might be a good place to do it. The motto here is “Come angry, leave happy," and that's exactly what you'll be doing -- pick your implement of destruction (like a hammer or a bat), choose your smashable item (like a computer monitor or a fax machine), and then make with the smashing. On Fridays, couples get two additional items to smash in any package.

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Megan McLachlan is a freelance writer living and working in Pittsburgh. She frequently likes to go on dates with herself around Pittsburgh to places like AMC Theaters and Doce Taqueria.